ked.

His games were now quite different. On a winter's day he would take a
burning glass and hold it out on his blue coat and let the snow-flakes
fall on it.

'Look in the glass, Gerda! Just see how regular they are! They are much
more interesting than real flowers. Each is perfect; they are all made
according to rule. If only they did not melt!'

One morning Kay came out with his warm gloves on, and his little
sledge hung over his shoulder. He shouted to Gerda, 'I am going to the
market-place to play with the other boys,' and away he went.

In the market-place the boldest boys used often to fasten their sledges
to the carts of the farmers, and then they got a good ride.

When they were in the middle of their games there drove into the square
a large sledge, all white, and in it sat a figure dressed in a rough
white fur pelisse with a white fur cap on.

The sledge drove twice round the square, and Kay fastened his little
sledge behind it and drove off. It went quicker and quicker into the
next street. The driver turned round, and nodded to Kay ina friendly
way as if they had known each other before. Every time that Kay tried
to unfasten his sledge the driver nodded again, and Kay sat still once
more. Then they drove out of the town, and the snow began to fall so
thickly that the little boy could not see his hand before him, and on
and on they went. He quickly unfastened the cord to get loose from the
big sledge, but it was of no use; his little sledge hung on fast, and it
went on like the wind.

Then he cried out, but nobody heard him. He was dreadfully frightened.

The snowflakes grew larger and larger till they looked like great white
birds. All at once they flew aside, the large sledge stood still, and
the figure who was driving stood up. The fur cloak and cap were all
of snow. It was a lady, tall and slim, and glittering. It was the
Snow-queen.

'We have come at a good rate,' she said; 'but you are almost frozen.
Creep in under my cloak.'

And she set him close to her in the sledge and drew the cloak over him.
He felt as though he were sinking into a snow-drift.

'Are you cold now?' she asked, and kissed his forehead. The kiss was
cold as ice and reached down to his heart, which was already half a lump
of ice.

'My sledge! Don't forget my sledge!' He thought of that first, and it
was fastened to one of the great white birds who flew behind with the
sledge on its back.

The Snow-queen kissed Kay aga